To all millennials, this article is for you. When cable TV mattered in the late ‘90s, Disney Channel released television films called Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOM). “Brink!” “Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century,” “Smart House” and “Johnny Tsunami” became cultural classics.
It’s difficult to describe the importance of DCOM to someone who didn’t live through it. Here's a start: “High School Musical 2” received 17.2 million viewers, while Game 2 of the 2024 World Series averaged 13.44 million viewers. These movies were must-see TV and the type of events that had you willingly stay home on a Friday night to watch.
Disney Channel catered to the seasons and holidays, and one of their biggest was Halloween. Disney Channel loved to celebrate spooky season with brand-new movies during October. Below are the seven best Disney Channel Original Movies for Halloween, ranked.
7. 'Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire'
In an example of excellent casting, “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” star Caroline Rhea returns to her supernatural roots in “Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire.” Lynette Hansen (Rhea) is a divorced mother of three children: Chelsea (Laura Vandervoort), Adam (Matt O’Leary), and Taylor (Myles Jeffrey).
To ease their mother’s disciplinary actions, Chelsea and Adam set their mother up on a date with the handsome Dimitri (Charles Shaughnessy). Unbeknownst to the kids, Dimitri is an evil vampire who plans to bite Lynette. It’s up to the kids and a mysterious vampire hunter to save their mother. It’s still funny and so jarring to see Robert Carradine, a.k.a. Lizzie McGuire’s dad, play the vampire hunter, Malachi Van Helsing. If anything, watch for that reveal alone.
Watch on Disney Plus
6. ‘Twitches’
Twitches (2005) - Trailer - YouTube
Tia and Tamera Mowry were Disney royalty in the ’90s thanks to “Sister, Sister.” After the show ended in 1999, the Mowry twins became Disney Channel movie stars, with “Twitches” being one of their best efforts. A royal witch (Kristen Wilson) gives birth to twins Alex (Tia) and Cam (Tamera) on Halloween night. To protect them from an evil entity known as the Darkness, the girls are separated and assigned adoptive parents to care for them on Earth.
On their 21st birthday, Alex and Cam reunite and discover they are witches, or in this case, “twitches.” With their newfound powers, the twitches must work together to destroy the Darkness and restore the Coventry. If “The Parent Trap” had a baby with “Harry Potter,” the result would be “Twitches.” That’s a good thing, for what it’s worth.
Watch on Disney Plus
5. ‘Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge’
Halloween Town 2: Kalabar's Revenge Trailer - YouTube
Every great movie deserves a sequel, and in “Halloweentown’s” case, it got “Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge.” Two years after saving Halloweentown, 15-year-old Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown) is now a practicing witch thanks to training from her grandmother Aggie (Debbie Reynolds).
Unfortunately for Marnie, a spell turns the vibrant Halloweentown into a black-and-white world with dull humans. Aggie discovers someone stole her spell book to implement this sinister plan, which also involves turning humans into monsters. Marnie and Aggie must find the spellbook and reverse the spell before it’s too late. While future sequels experienced mixed results, “Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge” is the closest entry to recapturing the charm of the original.
Watch on Disney Plus
4. ‘Don’t Look Under the Bed’
Don't Look Under the Bed (1999) - Original Promo - YouTube
The scariest move on this list is “Don’t Look Under the Bed.” It takes a childhood fear — monsters under the bed — and turns it into a frightening movie for kids (and some adults). Frances Bacon McCausland (Erin Chambers) is a high school senior who has grown up too fast. Frances does not believe in the supernatural, but her viewpoint changes after being framed for strange pranks in her neighborhood.
Much to her dismay, Frances has become the target of the real boogeyman. After the boogeyman kidnaps Frances’ younger brother, she enlists the help of an imaginary friend named Larry (Eric "Ty" Hodges II) to venture into a paranormal dimension under her bed to save him. Watching this as an adult will make you question how this horror movie for kids ever aired. In a way, it was admirable for Disney Channel to take a risk that paid off.
Watch on Disney Plus
3. ‘Phantom of the Megaplex’
Remember when people used to hang out at movie theaters? “Phantom of the Megaplex” is a love letter to teens who love cinema. 17-year-old Pete Riley (Taylor Handley) loves working as the assistant manager at his local megaplex. Pete and the staff are preparing the theater for the starry premiere of a new movie.
Things go haywire the night of the premiere, and many attribute the hijinks to the mysterious “phantom,” the rumored spirit who haunts the megaplex as the ghost. It’s a race against time for Pete and his co-workers to catch the phantom before it ruins the night. It’s the Disney Channel’s version of “Knives Out.”
Watch on Disney Plus
2. ‘Under Wraps’
You know a movie is good when Disney remakes it with a new cast over 20 years later. Fun fact: “Under Wraps” is the first Disney Channel original movie. Marshall (Mario Yedidia) is a horror-obsessed 12-year-old always looking for his next scare. Along with his friends Amy (Clara Bryant) and Gilbert (Adam Wylie), the trio stumbles upon an Egyptian mummy in an abandoned basement.
To make matters worse, the kids accidentally revive the mummy. Luckily, the mummy is harmless, but it will no longer exist if the kids do not put him back in his coffin by Halloween night. “Under Wraps” perfectly blends decent scares with the right amount of absurdity, resulting in a funny and enjoyable adventure.
Rent or buy on Google Play
1. ‘Halloweentown’
With Halloween in the title, “Halloweentown” was destined for the top of the list. Marnie Piper (Kimberly J. Brown) adores Halloween, while her mother, Gwen (Judith Hoag), despises it. Thankfully, Marnie can bond with her Halloween-loving grandma Aggie (Debbie Reynolds). With her 13th birthday approaching, Marnie discovers a family secret: she’s a witch along with her mother and grandma.
One night, Marnie follows Aggie on a magic bus to Halloweentown, a place home to witches, monsters, and ghosts who live in peace away from humans. Yet Halloweentown’s residents are disappearing, and Aggie needs Marnie’s help to stop it. Not only is “Halloweentown” an iconic Halloween movie, but it’s one of the five best Disney Channel Original movies ever made.
Watch on Disney Plus
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